The 275-acre Baton Rouges Lakes system is a series of six lakes in central Baton Rouge adjacent to Louisiana State University, three major parks, and a diverse mix of neighborhoods. Recognizing opportunity in crisis, a newly funded master plan provides sound ecological restoration methods that will heal a dying lake system while reconnecting the region to its ecological and cultural heritage. No longer the epicenter of “cancer alley,” the Baton Rouge Lakes, as the centerpiece of Louisiana’s capital, have the potential to elevate the city’s identity to one based on best management practices, positioning man and water in equilibrium. Using nature as a catalyst for healthy lifestyles while providing habitat infrastructure for migratory birds and aquatic wildlife, the project will serve as a touchpoint for visitors from across the Parish and throughout the country to experience Louisiana in a new way. The first phase of work identified corrects water quality issues; phase two provides safe pedestrian, bike, and vehicular connectivity; phase three includes ten projects that produce recreational opportunities for a broad cross section of users. To guide the project toward implementation, a nonprofit Lakes Conservancy has been created.
To learn more about the effort from SWA Principal Kinder Baumgardner, please see his interview with the Baton Rouge Area Foundation.
Changchun Tractor Factory Renovation
Once-industrial site re-imagined as a commercial complex with eye-catching public spaces.
For this site, which was once an industrial tractor factory that epitomized Changchun’s thriving industrial past, SWA provided conceptual design through implementation to transform the former of Changchun Tractor Factory into an eye-catching public realm that fulfi...
Xingfa Quarry Park
Just north of Beijing, between the Great Wall and Yanqi Lake, the Xingfa Cement Plant once fueled China’s construction boom, operating for over two decades before its 2015 closure under the National Air Quality Action Plan. Today, an adjacent quarry that once provided raw materials has been remediated as a 107.5-hectare terraced park that anchors an accompanyi...
Ontario Grand Park
Dating back to the late 1800s, Ontario, California, has been an ideal destination for agriculture, boasting orange, peach, lemon, and walnut groves. With an economy now based in manufacturing, access to an international airport, and proximity to Los Angeles, Ontario’s population is predicted to double by 2035. In response to the growing community, Ontario Gran...
Eucalyptus Society Garden
SWA’s design for this park, with its collegiate social atmosphere, offers a memorable place of natural respite that functions as green infrastructure.
Eucalyptus Society Garden project is located at the intersection of three science and innovation corridor axes in Guangzhou International Innovation City, including the core axis of the University City. B...